I started this blog with one daughter, kept it up with the other, to spend time together doing something we enjoyed.
However, things change and people evolve. My daughters are older, busier, and not as interested in writing.
From now on this blog will be mostly mom with occasional contributions from my daughters and maybe even my husband.
Nothing else will change. We'll still focus on sharing fun places to go, fun things to do, and more, and we would  still love to hear your views too

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Sunday Scoop Week of 1/18/26 What's Happening This Week

A) Beginning Performances

In New Jersey

1) Kim's Convenience

In New York

2) 11 Days: The Story of Operation Pineapple Express

3) Dirt

4) Edward

5) The Porch on Windy Hill

6) Retraction

7) Tom Cashman's 2 Truths 1 Lie and 17 Slight Exaggerations 

8) The Visitors 

9) Where is Your Husband?

In Pennsylvania

10) Draw the Circle

B) Other Openings 

In New York

11) Between Order and Chaos:  André Kertész and M. C. Escher

12) The Hum

C) Run Extension 

In New York

13) Dream Feed

14) Dirty Books

15) Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon

D) Registration Open

In New Jersey

16) Centenary Stage Co. Young People's Workshop

E) Submissions Open

In New York

17) Spotlight New Works Fest

F) What Else is Happening 

In New Jersey

18) NJPAC Upcoming Event: Elden Ring Symphonic Adventure with NJSO
1/24

In New York

19) American Museum of Natural History Upcoming Event: Grains of Change
1/22

20) Broadway's Beaches Launches Casting Search for Little Cee Cee 

21) Flushing Town Hall Celebrates Lunar New Year
starting 1/23

22) L'Alliance New York HD Screenings Twelfth Night or What You Will
and Le Bourgeois gentilhomme 1/22 & 3/5

23) Lincoln Center Upcoming Events 

24) Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Presents 2026 Year of the Horse
at Carmine Carro Community Center 1/24 

25) Tenement Museum Upcoming Event:
Tenement Talk: Immigration Today 1/22

26) Town Hall Upcoming Event:
Jennette McCurdy Book Tour Launch Moderated by Lena Dunham 1/20

27) Works & Process Upcoming Events

28) Young Voices International Celebrates 30 Years With Worldwide Wicked Singalong
1/22

In Pennsylvania

29) Philadelphia Zoo Behind the Scenes Tours

Other

30) Mason Bates' The Amazing Adventures of Kavilier & Clay Add to Met Live in HD Season

A) Beginning Performances

In New Jersey

1) Kim's Convenience

McCarter Theatre Center welcomes the new year with Kim’s Convenience, the award-winning comedy about a Korean family-run corner store that inspired the hit CBC television series later distributed internationally on Netflix. The play brings heart and humor to the stage as it explores family, identity, and resilience in a rapidly changing world.

McCarter Theatre, Berlind Theatre (91 University Pl., Princeton)
1/23 - 2/15

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit mccarter.org

In New York

Courtesy of Emily Owens PR

2) 11 Days: The Story of Operation Pineapple Express

11 Days is a powerful one-man show written and performed by retired Green Beret Scott Mann, author of the bestselling book Operation Pineapple Express. The play tells the true story of the final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, where ordinary veterans worked against the clock to rescue Afghan allies left behind.

wild project (195 E. 3rd St.)
1/22 - 1/25

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit thewildproject.org

3) Dirt

What if one day you woke up and the East River was... gone? In its place: a brand-new plot of land, ripe for development. Performed with three actors, one printer, and fifteen pounds of pudding, DIRT is an interactive theatre piece by SOUR MILK that invites audiences to reimagine the landscape of NYC. Participants take on characters, campaign to become mayor, and decide how to develop their new neighborhood. Construction is completed in real time using food products as building materials in this collaborative act of urban planning, electioneering, and play. 


The Tank's 56 Seat Theater (312 W. 36th St.)

1/22 - 2/15

Opening Night 1/24


For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 

thetanknyc.org/calendar-1/2025/11/13/dirt


Photo by Sophie Blackall 


4) Edward


In EDWARD, a box filled with twenty-seven ordinary objects becomes a profound reconstruction of one man’s life. The acclaimed solo show by Ed Schmidt will present twenty-five performances in independent bookstores throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan from January 22 through March 1. The title character, Edward O’Connell, a former high school English teacher who believed in “the vital role that literature plays in the development of a well-rounded life,” makes bookstores an ideal backdrop for his story to unfold.


Edward O’Connell died twelve years ago, at the age of seventy-three, and left behind a box containing twenty-seven objects: among them, a 1940 Chevrolet owner’s manual, a one-eared Mr. Potato Head, a Nader/LaDuke campaign button, and a heavily annotated copy of The Catcher in the Rye. Each object tells a story. Audience members sit around a table, on which the objects lie, and choose the order in which the stories are told by Schmidt. Each night, Edward’s life is reconstructed anew.


This show will play at Bookstores around New York City from 1/22 - 3/1


For more information about specific dates and locations or to purchase tickets, visit  www.edschmidttheater.com/tickets.


Photo by Ben Hider

5) The Porch on Windy Hill


Conceived and directed by Sherry Stregack Lutken, the play is set against the rolling landscape of the Blue Ridge Mountains and infused with timeless American folk music. The Porch On Windy Hill tells a tender, funny, and deeply moving story of family, belonging, intolerance, and the hope of redemption -- and the power of music to heal wounds that words alone cannot.


Urban Stages/ 30th Street Theater

259 W. 30th St.

1/25 - 2/22

Opening Night 1/29


For more information or to purchase tickets, visitUrban Stages


6) Retraction


Inspired by true events, RETRACTION follows journalist Wendy Cohen Denison as she publishes a bombshell exposé about a shocking crime at an esteemed university. Carolina Atlantic student Lacey’s firsthand account lives at the center of the article, and the entire nation is rocked by her story. But when journalists and college students alike begin to dive deeper, they find inconsistencies that throw everything they thought they knew about the case into question. This gripping legal drama examines the professional and personal truths we owe one another when nothing seems certain.


The Shiner Theatre at the Sheen Center (18 Bleeker St.)

1/22 - 1/31


For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.retractionplay.com.


Courtesy Darr Publicity


7) Tom Cashman's 2 Truths 1 Lie and 17 Slight Exaggerations 


Tom Cashman is back with a new hour of stand-up that might just include the secret to happiness. You may know Tom from Taskmaster Australia, you may know him from TikTok, you may be grappling with the idea of him for the first time now as you read this. It’s pointless to continue guessing your mental state. But if you like the mental state of laughing, you shouldn’t miss this show


SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam St.)

1/22 - 1/31


For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.instagram.com/tomcashman1


Courtesy of Polk and Co. PR


8) The Visitors 


Visitors leave. Right?  Sydney Harbor. January 1788. Seven Aboriginal leaders gather while a mysterious fleet of nawi (giant ships) amasses in the bay. As the vessels creep closer, the leaders face a fateful decision: send the strangers away or welcome them? 


Perelman Performing Arts Center (6 World Trade Center, 251 Fulton St.)

1/21 - 2/1

Opening Night 2/22


For more information or to purchase tickets, visit pacnyc.org/whats-on/the-visitors


Courtesy of Darr Publicity 


9) Where is Your Husband?


In her new hour long comedy storytelling special, Anshita will finally answer the most frequently asked question she gets on all social media platforms, “Where is your husband?” Some people believe that she had a husband but lost him, others think he cheated on her and some are convinced that she never had one. Only Anshita knows the truth. And her therapist thinks, it’s time. But since Anshita is childfree by choice, she would like to pass this trauma to strangers.


SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam St.)

1/21 - 2/1

Opening Night 1/23


For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.instagram.com/anshitakoulcomedy


In Pennsylvania


10) Draw the Circle

Draw the Circle is a funny, tender portrait of a first-generation Indian family confronting love, faith, and change when their child transitions from Shireen to Deen. Audiences experience Deen’s journey from the perspective of his wise-cracking father, conservative Muslim mother, and partner Elizabeth, illustrating the courage it takes for us to live authentically when we do not fit societal expectations of gender, religion, or family. Draw the Circle is both an intimate and expansive portrait of love that transcends identity. The compassionate coming-of-self story is anchored deeply in humanity and told with heart and humor.

Hedgerow Theatre Company (64 Rose Valley Road, Media)
1/21 - 2/1

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.hedgerowtheatre.org/draw-the-circle

B) Other Openings 

In New York

11) Between Order and Chaos:  André Kertész and M. C. Escher

The exhibition brings together two profoundly influential artists who, working independently in photography and printmaking, redefined how visual reality is perceived. Through vintage photographs by André Kertész and original prints by M. C. Escher, the exhibition explores shared investigations into perception, geometry, reflection, and illusion, where order and chaos function as interdependent forces.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the gallery will host an "In Conversation" event on February 3, featuring Dena Woodall, Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, who curated Virtual Realities: The Art of M. C. Escher from the Michael S. Sachs Collection, and Robert Gurbo, Director of the André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation. The evening will begin with a reception at 6:00 pm, followed by the conversation from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.


12) The Hum

Just as New York City is named the most stressed city in the world, a groundbreaking, musically driven wellness installation has opened to the public in Times Square. Called THE HUM, the experience is a first of its kind: a full-body sound journey that uses advanced haptic technology to deliver sound wave vibrations across 28 mapped points throughout the body. Inspired by ancestral sound practices and informed by modern science, THE HUM transforms music into physical sensation, creating a playful, immersive experience designed to help guests reset, recharge, and restore mind and body in less than 5 minutes. Bridging wellness, the science of sound, and cutting-edge haptic and sensorial technology, THE HUM offers an experience that is as entertaining as it is transformative, unlike anything currently available in the wellness or experiential landscape.

For more information and tickets, visit meetthehum.com.

C) Run Extension 

In New York

Courtesy of Emily Owens PR

13) Dream Feed

Drop into Dream Feed, the latest electro-acoustic vocal work from two-time Grammy Award winning theatrical family band The HawtPlates. Can we remember our own dreams? Can we share the dreams we have in common? Can we awaken ourselves to the origin of our aspirations? In this shared dream sequence and live concept album, The HawtPlates metabolize the surreal allure of the active mind within a slumbering body through trip-like lullabies and bold reveries.

HERE Arts Center, Mainstage Theater (145 6th Ave.)
Now closing 2/1

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit here.org/shows/dream-feed

Courtesy of DKC/O&M

14) Dirty Books

 

Written and directed by Lieberman (Voyeur: The Windows of Toulouse-LautrecChasing Andy Warhol), Dirty Books is an immersive performance that plunges audiences into the heated battles over anti-obscenity laws and censorship in America. Inspired by the true stories of erotic fiction writers of the 1960's and using Supreme Court-inspired transcripts, Dirty Books reveals the ingenuity and resilience of artists who thrived in the shadows of America's anti-obscenity laws working in the soft-core adult publishing industry. Inside an intimate world of secret bookstores, banned novels, and underground desire, the audience collaborates with the company to compose an erotic story.


In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Dirty Books will present two performances on Friday, February 13 at 10 PM and Saturday, February 14 at 7 PM. Tickets for the exclusive evenings start at $99 and include a festive midnight toast and a themed treat bag for every guest. Valentine’s Day tickets are on sale now at www.dirtybooksplay.com.

Bottom of Form


Bated Breath Theater (39 W. 14th St., #301) 

Now closing 2/28


For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.dirtybooksplay.com.


Courtesy of Richard Hillman PR

15) Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon


Who in this world doesn’t have a favorite Burt Bacharach song? Rediscover the soundtrack of a lifetime with Going Bacharach, a vibrant new revue celebrating the legacy of one of America’s most iconic composers. Three powerhouse vocalists backed by a five-piece band take audiences on a melodic journey through the timeless songs spanning Bacharach’s extraordinary career. Joyful and illuminating, Going Bacharach offers fresh, sophisticated, and original interpretations.


For nearly 70 years, Burt Bacharach supplied the soundtrack of the American experience. His is one of the most stylistically diverse and individualistic catalogues in popular music. Through his early classical training under composer Darius Milhaud and his exposure to the vibrant New York City Jazz scene as a teenager in the early 1940s, Bacharach was able to seamlessly amalgamate a wide rangevof stylistic influences to create his own brand of popular song. His catalogue of hits served as a bridge from the classic Great American Songbook standards of the early 20th century to the post Rock n’ Roll era of popular music, creating a library of songs that became the soundtrack to the lives of multiple generations... recorded by everyone from Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin to Adele, from Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley to Elvis Costello.


The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater (1o W. 64th St.)

Now closing 2/22


For more information or to purchase tickets, visit  www.goingbacharach.com.


D) Registration Open

In New Jersey

16) Centenary Stage Co. Young People's Workshop

Centenary Stage Company’s Young Performers Workshop (YPW) is now accepting registration for the 2026 Spring Session of its Musical Theatre Training Program for students ages 8–18. The session will run from February 14 through May 31, 2026, with a registration and tuition deadline of February 13, 2026.

Led by Broadway, Film, and Television veteran Michael Blevins, the YPW Summer Intensive Workshop is a 15-week intensive musical theatre workshop designed to meet the needs of beginning, intermediate, and advanced performers ages 8 - 18 interested in working in the theatre.  With an emphasis on discipline, self-worth and the development of communication skills, this hands-on program is one of the few in the nation to utilize both formal classroom training in theatre arts and real-world practical production experience for young people.  In the classroom, YPW students participate in a wide variety of subjects ranging from Acting to Tap, Theatre Dance to Voice, and everything in between.  A variety of elective classes are offered based upon availability and can include stage combat, stage make-up, improv, radio production, stage management / technical theatre, audition technique, among various other areas of discipline all taught by industry professionals.  The session culminates in a festival of shows featuring the presentation of full-scale musical productions.  All registered students are guaranteed a part in at least one production.

All applicants must complete an interview/audition with the program's director prior to acceptance, and families are encouraged to schedule interviews before registering. Interviews can be scheduled by contacting the Centenary Stage Company Administrative Offices at (908) 979–0900 or via email at centenary.stageco@centenaryuniversity.edu. No prior theatre experience is necessary.

For more information, to schedule an interview, or to register for the 2026 Spring Young Performers Workshop, please contact the Centenary Stage Company Administrative Offices at (908) 979–0900 or email centenary.stageco@centenaryuniversity.edu.

E) Submissions Open

Courtesy of Off Off PR
In New York

17) Spotlight New Works Fest

CPA Theatricals and Gitelman & Good Publishers are excited to announce that submissions are now open through February 3, 2026, for the Spotlight New Works Fest, a prestigious festival of readings celebrating exceptional new plays and musicals crafted for educational and community theatres. Featuring bold new writers whose original plays and musicals demonstrate strong production potential for the secondary theatre market, the festival will be staged from June 29-July 5, 2026, as part of the Factory Series at the Chain Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

The Spotlight New Works Fest welcomes new, original plays and musicals from writers of all backgrounds and experience levels and offers playwrights the opportunity to connect their work with the thousands of educational and community theatres looking for fresh, engaging material. Selected plays and musicals will be presented in the 65-seat theater as staged readings to industry professionals, theatre educators, and artistic directors who produce new works. Works should demonstrate: 

-   Wide production potential for educational and community theatres.

-   Strong theatrical storytelling and character development.

-   Originality and bold artistic vision.

-   Suitability for diverse audiences and theatre communities nationwide. 


Writers can submit their work through the official submission portal at spotlightnewworksfest.com, and should include a completed script, brief synopsis (one page or less), playwright biography (one paragraph), and author contact information. Participating companies will produce and stage their own readings, while the festival provides the venue, festival staff, and the opportunity to present new work to industry professionals, educators, and theatre community members.

F) What Else is Happening 

In New Jersey 

Courtesy of Prana PR

18) NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTSCENTER(NJPAC) PRESENTS
ELDEN RING SYMPHONIC ADVENTURE
WITH MUSIC BY THE NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents ELDEN RING Symphonic Adventure on Saturday, January 24 for two magical performances at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The ELDEN RING Symphonic Adventure features montages from the multi-award-winning video game accompanied by the sensational sounds of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.

Released in 2022 ELDEN RING was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding provided by George R. R. Martin. It quickly became a video game phenomenon, selling over 30 million copies to date and winning Game of the Year at the 2022 Game Awards. 

ELDEN RING features the ground-breaking score by Tsukasa Saitoh, Shoi Miyazawa, Tai Tomisawa, Yuka Kitamura, and Yoshimi Kudo, which received multiple award nominations including at the BAFTA Game Awards and The Game Awards.

The story of ELDEN RING is at the heart of the concert experience, as the audience relives major stages of the game via 4K montages perfectly synchronized with the orchestra and choir, for an immersive experience, accompanied by an original lighting design and sound effects.

This unique tour is being developed by Overlook Events, creators of the world-famous Dragon Ball Symphonic Adventure, Saint Seiya Symphonic Adventure and Assassin's Creed Symphonic Adventure, among many other creations.

Prudential Hall, Betty Wold Johnson Center (One Center St., Newark)
Saturday, January 24, 2:00 PM - 7:30 PM

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit  www.njpac.org  or call 888. GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722) and or visit the NJPAC Box Office located at NJPAC, 1 Center Street, Newark, N.J. 

In New York

19) American Museum of Natural History 
Upcoming Event: 
Grains of Change


Join them for a vibrant celebration of the cultures of East Asia—in China, Korea, Taiwan, Mongolia, and Japan—through one of the region’s most fundamental staples: rice. This evening program roots global traditions in local community, bringing New York–based artists, restaurants, cultural organizations, and vendors together through rice as both a cultural cornerstone and a symbol of sustainability. Grains of Change explores how rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and biodiversity loss are transforming agriculture across East Asia and here at home. By pairing science with cultural expression and community voices, the event invites audiences to reflect on the connections between what we eat, how we grow, and how we sustain each other in a changing climate.  


American Museum of Natural History  (200 Central Park W.)

Thursday, January 22, 7:00 PM 


For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Museum's online calendar


XXX


Courtesy of Vivacity Media Group


20) BEACHES LAUNCHERS CASTING SEARCH
'ARE YOU A LITTLE CEE CEE'
VIRTUAL OPEN CALL TO PLAY THE YOUNGER 
VERSION OF CEE CEE 

Beaches, A New Musical, set to begin previews on Broadway Friday, March 27, ahead of an official Opening Night on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Majestic Theatre (245 W. 44th street), has launched a virtual casting search called “Are You a Little Cee Cee?” to find the next actor to play Little Cee Cee, one half of the iconic best friends who first meet at a young age.  Performers are invited to submit video auditions now through Friday, January 16 at 1PM PST / 4PM EST. For complete submission instructions and details, please visit beachesthemusical.com/virtual-open-call/.

XXX


21) Celebrate the Year of the Red Horse throughout January and February at Flushing Town Hall in Queens


 The global arts venue celebrates Lunar New Year with a diverse lineup of Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, and Mongolian programs that include a traditional tea ceremony, musical concerts, an art exhibition, a film festival, and much more!


 Flushing Town Hall invites audiences to gallop into the Year of the Red Horse with a lively, multidisciplinary celebration of the Lunar New Year, featuring exhibitions, performances, and artists from countries across Asia and the diaspora. While often cited as “Chinese New Year,” Lunar New Year is celebrated globally across multiple countries across Asia and Asian communities throughout the United States. New York City is home to the nation’s second-largest Asian population, and Flushing Town Hall’s annual Lunar New Year celebration is the city’s most diverse.

 

Each year, the Lunar New Year holiday commences with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and culminates fifteen days later on the first full moon. The Year of the Red Horse officially begins on February 17, 2026, to honor the seventh animal in the 12-year zodiac cycle, offering celebrants a powerful symbol of freedom, strength, and success. 


JANUARY 23 - MARCH 1

Lunar New Year Exhibition: Red Horizon: Art. Heritage. New Energy, Curated by Stephanie S. Lee

Tickets: Free


    XXX


Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

22) L’Alliance New York Presents HD Screenings of

Twelfth Night or What You Will

and Le Bourgeois gentilhomme

January 22 & March 5, 2026 at 7PM

Florence Gould Theater, L’Alliance New York

55 East 59th Street, New York, NY, 10022


L’Alliance New York announces the upcoming HD screenings of Twelfth Night or What You Will (La Nuit des rois ou Tout ce que vous voulez) and Le Bourgeois gentilhomme set for Thursday, January 22, 2026 and Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 7PM at the Florence Gould Theater, L’Alliance New York, 55 East 59th Street, New York, NY, 10022. Tickets start at $15.


Twelfth Night or What You Will

One of Europe’s preeminent theater directors, Thomas Ostermeier is a world-renowned interpreter of Shakespeare, perhaps most famously for his acclaimed 2008 production of Hamlet. Ostermeier’s inaugural production of the Bard’s classic comedy Twelfth Night or What You Will (La Nuit des rois ou Tout ce que vous voulez) brings the director’s signature physicality, textual rigor, and distinctly modern sensibility to his first collaboration with the Comédie-Française. The run time is three hours with no intermission. Tickets can be purchased here.



Please note that a 10-minute pre-recorded interview precedes the start of the play.

This performance contains nudity and scenes that may not be appropriate for all audiences.


Le Bourgeois gentilhomme

Long nicknamed “La Maison de Molière,” the Comédie-Française offers a bold new production of one of its patron playwright’s seminal comédie-ballets. Rarely seen in the US as a piece of theater but perhaps more familiar to New York audiences as a Balanchine ballet, this rollicking satire follows an upstart bourgeois merchant in his elaborate attempts to ascend to the aristocracy.


Acclaimed directing partners Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq reimagine this 17th-century classic as a deliciously relevant class farce complete with fantastical costumes and Balkan-inspired music. Run time is two hours and twenty minutes with no intermission. Tickets can be purchased here.


 XXX


23) Lincoln Center Upcoming Events 


Lincoln Center highlights the iconic traditions of singer-songwriters at the David Rubenstein Atrium, honoring coffeehouse originals, folk innovators, and genre-bending indie artists. Songwriter/Storyteller (January 22 - 31) features six groundbreaking musicians, showcasing the craft and narrative artistry at the heart of their work.

This year’s artists include: No-No Boy (January 22), Luna Li (January 23), River Whyless (January 24), Dámaris Bójor (January 29), Wild Pink (January 30), and Miriam Elhajli (January 31).


Lincoln Center and New Latin Wave celebrate the 40th anniversary of Philip Glass’s Songs from Liquid Days, with the album’s first staged revival in decades (January 25). Released in 1986, this six-track concept album forever changed the landscape of contemporary music.  


This special concert features The Philip Glass Ensemble, founded by the composer in 1968, alongside Latine guest artists, offering a focused, cross-generational look at the album’s visionary spirit and lasting impact. Special guests include: Darian Donovan Thomas, Magos Herrera, Sasha Gutiérrez, Melisa Bonetti, Kayla Viviana, Angel Raii Gomez, Britt Hewitt, and the Ivalas Quartet.


For a full lineup, visit the  monthly event calendar



XXX

Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

24) Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company

2026 Year of the Horse

at Carmine Carro Community Center 

in Marine Park

January 24, 2026

3000 Fillmore Ave, Brooklyn, New York


The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, the renowned international touring dance company founded by Chinese American choreographer Nai-Ni Chen, and now led by Artistic Director Greta Campo and Executive Director Andy Chiang, announced today that they will perform at Carmine Carro Community Center in Marine Park, 3000 Fillmore Ave, Brooklyn, on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 12PM. The event is free and more information is available here.


The Year of the Horse is here! Celebrate the Lunar New Year in style with MPA, Brooklyn Public Library, and the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company for an interactive dance experience, featuring dazzling costumes and eye-catching props, plus crafts and fun for the whole family!


The 2026 Year of the Horse program from Nai-Ni Chen is a lively, interactive dance experience that invites young audiences to discover the richness and diversity of Chinese culture through movement, music, and storytelling, as the artists guide students on a journey across regions and traditions—explaining how geography, history, and community celebrations shape classical and folk dance forms. The performance is narrated by the dancers, who demonstrate foundational techniques and cultural context in an age-appropriate, engaging way.


The audience doesn't just watch—they participate. Selected volunteers are invited on stage to learn simple movements, including the flowing artistry of silk ribbon dance, and to experience how gesture and rhythm communicate meaning. For the Year of the Horse (2026), the program will also introduce a new lion dance segment celebrating the excitement of festival traditions, along with a dynamic Mongolian dance inspired by horsemanship and grassland culture—highlighting the spirit of strength, freedom, and resilience associated with the horse.


XXX

25) Tenement Museum Upcoming Event:
Tenement Talk: Immigration Today

On Thursday, January 22, the Tenement Museum will be hosting Tenement Talk: Immigration Today. Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer at The Atlantic, and Muzaffar Chishti, lawyer and Director of the Migration Policy Institute, join Tenement Museum President Annie Polland to assess the changes in policy and public perception of immigration at a moment of intense upheaval and uncertainty.


Caitlin Dickerson has been a leading voice in journalism on immigration. As a national immigration reporter for the New York Times, Dickerson reported extensively on deportation and conditions at border detention facilities. In 2023, she won the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Journalism for her story on the Trump administration’s family separation policy in The Atlantic


Muzaffar Chishti is a renowned expert on immigration, and, in addition to leading the Migration Policy Institute, he serves on the boards of directors of the New York Immigration Coalition and the Asian American Federation. He has testified extensively on immigration policy before Congress, and frequently offers analysis for outlets including CNN, PBS, and ABC.


For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.tenement.org/events/tenement-talk-immigration-today.


    XXX

 

26) THE TOWN HALL PRESENTS

HALF HIS AGE

WITH JENNETTE MCCURDY

 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026 AT 7PM

AT THE TOWN HALL


MODERATED BY LENA DUNHAM


The Town Hall (Melay Araya, Artistic Director) announced today that Emmy Award nominee Lena Dunham will moderate a conversation with best-selling and award-winning writer Jennette McCurdy during the launch event of the book tour for her first novel, Half His Age. The event will take place on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 7pm at The Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street, New York, NY).

 

Jennette McCurdy returns to The Town Hall, this time to celebrate the release of her debut novel: Half His Age (Ballantine Books). From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of I’m Glad My Mom Died comes a sad, funny, thrilling novel about sex, consumerism, class, desire, loneliness, the internet, rage, intimacy, power, and the (oftentimes misguided) lengths we’ll go to in order to get what we want.

 

All tickets include a SIGNED copy of Half His Age. The author will not be personalizing copies at the event.  Doors open at 6:30pm, with the event beginning at 7pm. This event is presented in partnership with Barnes & Noble Booksellers.

 

Tickets begin at $50 and are available now. For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visit  www.thetownhall.org/events.


    XXX

27) Works & Process
Upcoming Events 

Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

Works & Process Presents

Signature Theatre’s

Mother Russia by Lauren Yee &

Animal Wisdom by Heather Christian

at Guggenheim New York

Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 7PM


Works & Process presents a chance to go behind the scenes with Signature Theatre resident artists Lauren Yee and Heather Christian about their upcoming productions: Mother Russia and Animal Wisdom. The evening is set for Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 7PM at the Peter B. Lewis Theater, 1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10128. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here.


In Mother Russiaby Signature Theatre resident artist Lauren Yee (Cambodian Rock BandThe Great Leap), the setting is 1992 St. Petersburg: the Soviet Union has collapsed, McDonald’s has risen, and Evgeny, a young man at a loss, stumbles into a job working surveillance with his old friend Dmitri. Their target, Katya, is a former pop singer with questionable allegiances and a mysterious past. As their lives riotously intertwine, Evgeny finds himself falling in love and losing his bearings––all while grappling with the taste of freedom (and fast food) along the way. This savvy, off-kilter tale of identity, espionage, and the cost of capitalism makes its New York premiere, in this razor-sharp dark comedy directed by Teddy Bergman.


In Animal Wisdom, by Signature Theatre resident artist Heather Christian (Oratorio for Living Things, A Wrinkle in Time), step into a musical séance like no other— where the veil is thin, the music is wild, and the spirits of memory come roaring to life. Called “dazzlingly original” by Vogue, this work blends storytelling, requiem, and family mythology in a musical ritual made for sinners and saints alike. A journey into the haunted spaces of memory and loss—diving deep into the relationship between the soul, the seen, and the unseen—this transporting experience comes to Signature in a thrilling new production helmed by director Keenan Tyler Oliphant. With her raucous, singular music fusing blues, gospel, and folk, Obie Award–winner Christian invites you to pay tribute to the forces that shape our lives.


Yee and Christian join a moderated discussion led by Signature Theatre artistic director Emily Shooltz, and performers will present excerpts from both works.


Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

Works & Process presents

American Ballet Theatre

Othello: A Dance in Three Acts by Lar Lubovitch

at Guggenheim New York

Monday, January 26, 2026 at 7PM


Works & Process presents American Ballet Theatre for a preview performance of Othello: A Dance in Three Acts by Lar Lubovitch, set for Monday, January 26, 2026 at 7PM at the Peter B. Lewis Theater, 1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10128. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here.


American Ballet Theatre (ABT) offers a preview of Othello: A Dance in Three ActsChoreographed by Lar Lubovitch with an original score by Elliot Goldenthal, the ballet will be presented at the Company's Spring season in March at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. This reimagining of Shakespeare’s tragic tale tells the story of the Moorish general Othello, who is manipulated by his soldier Iago to believe that Desdemona, his​ beloved wife, has been unfaithful. Consumed by jealousy, Othello spirals into madness and kills Desdemona before learning of her innocence.


ABT Artistic Director Susan Jaffe will moderate a discussion with Lar Lubovitch, and ABT dancers will perform excerpts.


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28) Young Voices International 

Celebrates 30 Years

with Spectacular 

WICKED Worldwide Singalong

 

Global music education leader to unite over 500,000 children worldwide

in celebration of three decades inspiring young voices  


 Young Voices International, the world’s largest youth music education organization, will mark its 30th anniversary with a groundbreaking WICKED Worldwide Singalong, streaming live from London’s most iconic arena, The O2, on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 3:00PM GMT / 10:00AM ET / 7:00AM PT. All schools worldwide are invited to participate in this historic celebration at no cost.

 

The second of these unprecedented global celebrations, hosted in partnership with the Broadway blockbuster WICKED, will bring together children from around the world to perform the specially arranged YV26 WICKED Medley – featuring iconic songs from the musical. 

 

ABOUT THE SINGALONG

 

A Global Musical Moment

More than 8,000 children are expected to perform live in London, with over 500,000 additional participants joining virtually from schools and homes worldwide, creating what organizers describe as a “once-in-a-generation moment of music and unity.” In preparation for the event, Young Voices choirs worldwide are rehearsing with exclusive resources created in partnership with Hal Leonard and Twinkl, including professional sheet music, rehearsal tracks, and classroom learning materials.

 

Free Global Participation

Registration provides free access to learning materials and event information, ensuring that geography or financial limitations do not prevent participation.

 

How to Participate

Schools interested in joining this historic celebration can register here. The virtual format allows schools to join the live broadcast while performing simultaneously from their own locations, creating a truly global choir experience.

 
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In Pennsylvania

Courtesy of Aversa PR

29) PHILADELPHIA ZOO DEBUTS NEW 2026 KEY TO THE ZOO PREMIUM INSIDER TOURS THIS JANUARY AND FEBRUARY WITH EXCLUSIVE MEET AND GREETS

Philadelphia Zoo announces a new 2026 Key to the Zoo Behind-the-Scenes Tour with dates and expanded times this January and February. After the first Key to the Zoo tours last year, the sold-out program is back with new dates, new experiences, expanded hours and expanded dates. This never-done-before tour invites guests on the most exclusive tour ever offered by America's first Zoo. Guests will spend three hours with a member of the Zoo's Conservation Education team visiting several behind-the-scenes areas that are not typically available to the public. Each tour will be unique, but will include at least four experiences where you will get up and close and personal with the animals and get to learn about their individual personalities from the keepers who care for them. Each tour also includes a visit to the Solitude, a one-of-a-kind gift from the animals, complimentary parking, and regular Zoo admission for the day of the tour. On select dates, the tour will include a meet-and-greet with a few of our world-famous baby Galapagos tortoises. Please be sure to select those dates if you would like to meet them! Please note that this experience is not handicap accessible and is for ages 5+. Waivers must be completed onsite to participate. Dates include January 18 and 24, and February 1, 7, 15 and 21, with morning and afternoon sessions available this year. For tour tickets, visit philadelphiazoo dot org/events/key-to-the-zoo-behind-the-scenes-tours/ For more information, please contact education at phillyzoo dot org.

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Other

30) Mason Bates’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Added to
The Met: Live in HD Season by Popular Demand

 

 

The Met: Live in HD is available through Fathom Entertainment in approximately
570 theatres nationwide on January 24 & 28

 

Grammy Award–winning composer Mason Bates’s adaptation of Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel

 

Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts a production directed by Bartlett Sher


 Due to critical acclaim and overwhelming audience response, the Metropolitan Opera–premiere production of Mason Bates’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, recorded live earlier this season, has been added to the Live in HD season on January 24 and 28. The Met-commissioned opera—an adaptation of Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel—is composed by Bates, with a libretto by Gene Scheer.

 

Under the baton of the Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the world of 1940s New York comes vividly to life as two Jewish cousins—a refugee from Nazi-occupied Prague and a closeted gay Brooklynite—forge a bond through the creation of the Escapist, a comic book superhero who fights fascism and frees the oppressed.


In his Met-debut season, baritone Andrzej Filończyk stars as Joe Kavalier, the gifted artist who flees war-torn Europe, opposite tenor Miles Mykkanen as his cousin and writing partner, Sam Clay. The cast also includes soprano Lauren Snouffer—in her Met-debut season—as Sarah Kavalier, mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce as Rosa Saks, baritone Edward Nelson as Tracy Bacon, and bass-baritones Patrick Carfizzi and Craig Colclough as Sheldon Anapol and Gerhard, respectively.   

 

Blending sweeping orchestration, jazz-inflected rhythms, and electronic music, Kavalier & Clay explores themes of identity, survival, and liberation through three distinct musical worlds. The production is directed by Tony Award–winner Bartlett Sher, with imposing set pieces and cinematic projections designed by London’s 59 Studio.

 

The opera marks the ninth Met production for Sher, and the creative team also features debuts by costume designer Jennifer Moeller, sound designer Rick Jacobsohn, and Emmy Award–winning choreographer Mandy MoorePaul Cremo, who also directs the Met’s Opera Commissioning Program, supports the production as dramaturg.  

 

Fathom Entertainment will present three presentations of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay in theatres on Saturday, January 24 at 1:00PM and Wednesday, January 28, at 1:00PM and 6:30PM local time.


Tickets for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay  are now on sale at approximately 570 participating U.S. theatre locations. To purchase tickets for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay please visit the Fathom Entertainment website or participating theatre box offices (participating theatres are subject to change).

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And that's the scoop. Tune in tomorrow for More Theater Monday.

Images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission.  Address any concerns regarding image usage here. 

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